Electronics assemblies and connectors for coupling one electronics assembly to another are many and varied. Alignment of connectors during the mating of one electronics assembly to another is critical for electrical and electronic connection and system reliability. Printed circuit boards, housings, support members and other mechanical and electrical components can flex as a result of forces applied during assembly operations. This, plus differences in component dimensions and placement from manufacturing tolerances can cause misalignment of electrical connectors, resulting in marginal connection at the connectors, degraded signal levels and system reliability, yield loss and field failures. High-speed signals and large numbers of connections, with attendant high pin count connectors and greater numbers of connectors tend to exacerbate these problems. Traditional solutions to mitigate assembly torsion include adding stiffeners to a printed circuit board, using thicker printed circuit boards, enclosing circuits in a rigid housing or frame, using clamps on connectors, mounting connectors at ends of cables, use of special tools for installation, etc. Some of the solutions may not be applicable for various reasons, such as cost, reliance on printed circuit board thickness for circuit trace impedance, or reduction or elimination of cabling for cost reduction and short signal paths for high-speed signals. Even with some of the above solutions, an electronics assembly may flex, and misalign connectors. It is within this context that the embodiments arise.